Note

This campaign setting will be focused on the creation of a future history of humanity, before moving on to fleshing out the 'modern day'. I've got a timeline penned, and it is concerning that, that I would like your initial assistance.

What entries within it do you wish to know more about? That strike you as zany or too poetic; clever or incoherent. Here's the catch; when casting your vote (as it were), you only get one question.

Not too much to ask, I hope. Oh, and the bolded entries are off-limits

Epoch IIn which we look upon ancient history; or Genesis-2009: The first signs of the future appear.-2012: The world as they knew it ends. Remaining points of light scramble to adapt.-The Triumvarate vs. The Enlightened-The First Unity-World War IV-The Fracture-The Second Unity-Transhuman Immortality

Epoch IIIn which we see creation of civilization as we know it; or Transcendence-The Tyranny-The People's Revolution/Biological Immortality-The The People's Commonwealth-Ban on Parallel Existence-The Sentience Arises & Departs-The Silent War (Perfect Meme)-Development of FTL-The First Exodus-The Final War-Anathema is Discovered-The Second Exodus-Dawn of the Intersolar Empire-Sapient Clans Created-Development Annihilation Virus -First Contact -Destruction of the Star Tribes-The Final War Ends

Epoch IIIIn which we witness space and time become navigable theaters; or Zeitgeist-The War of Suns-Discovery of the Omega Effect-Establishment of the Confederation (The Pact)-The Annihilation Virus Encounters The Sentience-Ringrifts are Developed-The Third Exodus (First Expansion)-Modern Day

Let's see more in Epoch III. If Epoch I occurs mostly around the 21st century era there's not a lot to know right now, although later it'll be interesting to see how you handle specific events. Epoch III looks a little empty. Is The Final War really the last conceivable war to take place, or is that just a name? I don't know how long a civilization or civilizations can go without some sort of conflict.

Some quick answers.-Epoch III is actually quite time-spanning and busy.-The Final War might more properly be termed the last civil war on earth. You'll notice that immediately after the Final War, the War of Suns takes place.

Is it possible you can split up the individual events in each Epoch, list "chapters" and whatnot of them to give more detail? I think that might help to nail down what people will want to see specifically.

The Second ExodusOn Earth Final War raged between supporters of the Adams Doctrine and factions that believed humanity's destiny lay in the stars. With the crew Wu Wei's discovery of The Anathema rocking the views of all involved; a cultural response arose from fear of that further conflict would result in extremist use of black hole technology. One of the major outlets of this response was public, private, and nationalized interests dedicating themselves to the pursuance of technologies that would allow from either evacuation or preemptive departure from Earth.

Unlike members of the First Exodus, most people involved in the Second Exodus did not believe that a radical alternation of culture was needed, or even tolerable. A general retention of both rejuvenation and social prohibition of memory alternation prevailed.

Among the drives to arise during this time was the Bernandino. It allowed travel into a dimensional space previously relegate to the hypothetical, though extensive armour to protect the matter from the initial and subsequent transitions to and from real space was required. It practice, any vessel using the Bernandino moved 60% faster than all previous FTL drives.

Despite the increased range, with the exception of a variety of curiosity missions, travel beyond beyond 60 light years from Earth remained uncommon. Travel time was simply decreased.

Most members of the Second Exodus, which lasted ten years, built and settled space stations or moons that required minimal terraforming that in many cases never evolved out of paraterraforming.

From the Kadmos moon of 51 Pegasi a political philosophy labeled the rational conclusion of Justice Theory arose from the intellectual elite class that had developed. At approximately the same time engineers on the space station located near 85 Pegasi binary system determined how to efficiently transport hydrogen from the K-class orange dwarf colloquially called Furnace to heat the atmosphere of the frozen planet that orbited it. This was an important leap that allowed for relatively inexpensive secondary methods to be implemented that allowed for the first major planetary settlement of the Second Exodus.

It was not long before Kadmos and the colonists of the newly named Weal established an alliance that would later serve as the foundation of the Intersolar Empire.

Unsurprisingly after the Second Exodus simultaneously relieved and drove underground Earth geopolitical tensions. The Final War turned cold for a time.

Red means in need of revision. This doesn't quite with Prologue anymore, but I'm not letting it hit the cutting room floor, yet.

World War ThreePreexisting ConditionsRussia. A hindsight view of history reveals that it was always going to be Russia. Pressures on Germany by The United Global Council became increasingly heavy as punishment for non-cooperation with encouraged regional agromonic measures being taken to accommodate for northern climate change. This resulted in geopolitical alienation from their western neighbors, The European Federation, and a growing attachment of interests to the more welcoming provinces of Kiev, Krimea, and ultimately Moscow.

It must be understood that Russia during the First Unification regarded every major participant as holding interests unlike their own, and it is true that several administrative decisions were made to limit the regional influence of Russia. Eleven provinces succeeded from Russia, and while this was a strong blow against that influence it did provide increases in national economy and more importantly created a land buffer against other provinces. Russia history simply didn't allow for acceptance of a global union that did not arise from strife and had no trust in it's longevity.

So, acting in a strictly strategic manner, representatives of the Russian Federal Assembly contacted the GRA with an offer that the struggling province accepted with little hesitation. Moscow would give Berlin unfettered manifold economic support, regardless of it's agricultural predication.

In Character

It is said that the earliest writings we have on subject come from a pair of First Exodus-era scholars from jungle-world Enceladus, in a scientific paper called The Far Realm The manifestation of physical irreality. Some people say the line between ghosts and our theory-of-everything is very narrow now. Could it be the inspiration for ancient hells and apparitions both was nature interactions of the Anathema with reality. Just as we now can say that late period antiquity writings of SN 185, by Chinese astronomers in 185 of the self-described CE referred to supernovae, could the writings of Hades and phatoms be reactions to the Anathema's fluxes. I find it more than plausible to explain the deaths of the Primary Moon Rangers.From the Notes of Israi McKenning, a foundational Zencath priest and one of the most widely accessed journalist-prophets of the 2430s.

"What exactly the Anathema is can be the subject of great debate. It is widely believed that the very nature of the Anathema prevents it's comprehension.

Many modern scientists ascribe to a theory that states the Anathema is physical evidence a quantum entanglement between between a theorized parallel universe as described in M-Theory.

It must be understood that the entanglement would be much larger in magnitude than those displayed in augmented quantum telepathy. In this theory the Anathema represents the possibility that absolute event horizons are penetrable during periods in which a universe undergoes a significant event. An example of such an event is the simultaneous annihilation of at least 1% of the universe, up until the quantum state of that 1% has renormalized.

Minor encounters with the Anathema are perceivable on a macrolevel as unspeakably terrifying to the participating observers. Major encounters with the Anathema are observable most often in the Eridanus Supervoid."

Out of Character

A retrospective fragment from the author Shakespear Jones (a Epoch II augman*), describing early-millenium language, politics, and issues from an era now called The People's Revolution.

Entered into the Imperial records as a scan from a retired InterSys** imMeme*** by Jones' descendents when going through customes (A couple of Second Exodites performing (eart)Hajj).****

*Nanodigitally enhance humans or mech uplifts that are indistinguishable biologically from humankind of that period.**InterSys was one of the big players in the Silent War, claiming absolute authority over the whole solar system and every thought and network within it... there were a lot of big players back before FTL.***imperfect Meme, an idea that isn't programmed to replicate. can refers to bodiless augmented intellegences, among other things.****The pilgramage all dutiful followers of Gaian and Tianxian teachings undertake, a return from sky to Mother Earth .

In Character

The dangerous situation was excerbated by an early-millenium Union-based sweeping election that left the the "hard right" "copynazis" growing in infrastructural strength and governance, causing many moderate-rights citizens to seek out the lefty peer to peer sharing nets. So too, did many Big-I factions, who suspected the reigme of

Soon even these bastions of art were targeted for destruction by the copynazis, their maifold users turned to explicity foreign translations and the patois and movement that arose from this fateful act are known as Pirate.

Lingusitically, Pirate gradually became Low Trade, years before we meanignfully took the the stars an established what is now commonly called Trade.

Historically, it caused major shifts in Earth global politics. Pirate was a peoples movement only foreshadowed in virility by the American 1960s. Many of it's proponents became noted philosophers and programmers that shaped the era to come. These and modern certified Scholars, such as myself, consider them to be the ideal conclusion and perfect example of Anarchy, a proud, but often misunderstood or malappropriated tradition.Also it was the logical sucessor to early millennium Nordic bloc policies, and this was instrumental in securing political favor from the Arbiters*

A Polish/Swedish/Norweigan/Iceland/Canadian geopolitical absolute alliance that brokered world peace between the restless Union** and hungry Motherland.***

**Itself an amalgamation of the USA and EU and their pooled global territories left over from centuries of conquests and "peaceful interventions".

***the Sino-Rus alliance that at last brought stability to the Medditerrain region (swallowing the Turkey-led Arab Leauge successing Arab Union) and advancing the "civilization" of Africa.

Funny how I use the same footnote notations IC and OOC. Funny as in bad habit. Would sidebars be better or do you gents have other other ideas about how to insert such "Miviellian Vestige" style material into settings?

Hello the Guild!What's Past Is Prologue has momentarily caught by attention again, and I hope to spend some off-writing time developing it again this March, between a short-story meant to put Nordgard creatively to rest and time-sensitive development for the Untamed LARP (a weird west steampunk affair). What's Past Is Prologue is an obnoxious name for something that needs often to be referred to, so I'm looking for in-put on the setting name too.

Afterwards, I am content to believe my current lifestyle will allow for less lurking and MOAR posting, but we shall see. In the meantime (and until a better name is settled upon) this thread will be my homebase for this settings development.

Presently I've set to write up in order. Right now, here are reminders and teasers.Ringrifts - controlled wormholes, planetary portalsReorganzie Timeline into Chapters - <- on the tinDawn of the Intersolar Empire - human regime that settled several nearby galaxies and struggled to estabish the pax intersol. Ban on Parallel Existence - claygolems, uploaded minds, downlifted traits, copies - the architects of the ban though that was effed.The War of Suns - no many how many enemies, horizons, or options you put before them humans always want to fight each other. just like family. galaxy at war MOO type era.The Silent War - 15 minutes in the futures future. who watches the watchmen what whom and what strings do we all dance to?Annhilation Virus - digital, physical, for all we know spiritual, reproducing yoctobeing that seems to completely violate conservation of energy and Noethers therom alike.

Uh, I love that my term has caught on :pIs this for roleplaying or writing? Will you still be developing mostly the past or could you give us some hints on what the future-present is like?Did any of the things we dream of having in the future never come to pass? Where we wrong about things?

Logged

Currently...Writing: Broken Verge v. 207Reading: the Black Sea: a History by Charles KingWatching: Farscape and Arrested Development

It's for writing at this point, but as I solidify the setting I'm liable to take it for a spin role-playing in one venue or another.

Many of our dreams were unreasonable, or based on fault thereoms. For example, in the future presented here we never stop finding new elements and we never had personal jetpacks. Well, not really at least.

Right now, in the 'future-present', the Third Exodus is is in full swing and a united Xhumanity is weaving their infrastructure across the Milky Way, and discovering just how strange and unfeeling the universe really can be.

Triumvarate vs. Enlightened teaser: The Motherland and Union joined with the 300 or so highest grossing corporations to form the Triumvarate, a globally governing body that sets down law, culture, cost, and more. The Enlighted are in a sense, everyone else, but specifically a small demogrpahic in the then current gen of humans, a large percentage from India, who posses nigh akashic intuition through control over their brain-states (allowing also sleeplessness or microbial rerouting).